Hays (Pittsburgh)
| Hays | |
|---|---|
| Neighborhood of Pittsburgh | |
 |
|
| Country | United States |
| State | Pennsylvania |
| County | Allegheny County |
| City | Pittsburgh |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.75 sq mi (4.5 km2) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 362 |
| • Density | 210/sq mi (80/km2) |
Hays is a neighborhood in the 31st Ward of the east side of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is represented on the Pittsburgh City Council by the representative of District 5 (Corey O'Connor). It occupies ZIP codes 15227, 15207, and 15236. It is named after James H. Hays, who opened a coal-mining operation called Hays and Haberman Mines in 1828.
Hays was first settled in 1789 when still part of Baldwin Township by John Smalls, who named the area Six Mile Ferry Village. The H.B. Hays and Brothers Coal Railroad was a narrow gauge railroad that ran from the coal mine along Streets Run to the coal tipple at Six Mile Ferry.
The neighborhood was formerly the site of the Hays Army Ammunition Plant, built by the U.S. Navy in 1942. The plant was transferred to the Army in 1966, and during its heyday between World War II and the Vietnam War employed more than a thousand people. In 1970 the plant was put on standby status until disposition in 1988. In 1993 the site was donated to the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh. The closing of the plant has led to an enormous loss of population: in 1940 the population was 2,238, while in 2010 the population was only 362.
Hays encompasses the area known as Hays Woods, a 635-acre (257 ha)+ woodland, the largest undeveloped tract of land in the city of Pittsburgh (even larger than Frick Park). Hays Woods is the best example of the city's natural environment and has six streams, including a waterfall. The area is home to nesting bald eagles. The 613-acre (2.48 km2) parcel of land including Hays Woods was a identified as a possible site for a thoroughbred racetrack and housing development after developer Charles Betters' application to strip mine the area was declined. In 2016, the parcel was signed over to the city of Pittsburgh and is slated to become the largest park in Pittsburgh.
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